The towering grandeur of the Rocky Mountains are justifiably famous, but when one hears of the Appalachians more often than not it’s accompanied with a chuckle, a “isn’t that Deliverance country?” quip and perhaps a knowing comment about duelling banjos. With my west-coast lenses, I even figured it was no big deal to drive straight across them the day after our new brakes and distributor were ready for what was meant to be a probationary run.

It’s a good thing the 34-year-old RockVan was up to the task, because it was a monumental one. The Appalachians are wickedly steep and curvy even if by Rocky standards they aren’t that high. They are also intensely, deeply and gloriously green.

I’m not really keeping up with writing about the big RoadTripUSA just yet, but here’s my latest piece on Crikey, detailing the first week of repairs on the RockVan in Front Royal, Virginia. You can check out the earlier posts there too if you haven’t already…

I promise more updates on food, farms and reflections on culture soon!